ABRAHAM: Father of All Believers

Homework (due Tues., 11/17) Read Gen. 12, 15-16; NB: complete RQs (due Weds., 11/18) Interview parent w/ # 2 from WTB sheet; in J: Write both his/her and your responses to the question.

Homework (due Tues., 12/1) Read Gen. 21:1-21; 22:1-19 and complete RQs (due Fri., 12/4) Finish “Inside Mecca” sheet (due Tues., 12/8) Answer “Reflection” questions on WTB sheet

Homework (due Thurs., 12/10) Study for Test Review (due Fri., 12/11) TEST: Abraham –PPt notes –Bible Study RQs –WTB & “Inside Mecca” worksheets

Creation… Generates

Creation… God makes things good Generates

Creation… Generates God makes people good

De-Creation… AlienatesDisintegrates

De-Creation… Self > couple ashamed AlienatesDisintegrates

De-Creation… God > couple hide AlienatesDisintegrates

De-Creation… Self > couple ashamed God > couple hide AlienatesNature>couple to suffer/die Disintegrates

De-Creation… Self > couple ashamed God > couple hide AlienatesNature>couple to suffer/die People>Cain murders Abel Disintegrates

De-Creation… Self > couple ashamed God > couple hide AlienatesNature>couple to suffer/die People>Cain murders Abel Nation>Confusion at Babel Disintegrates

De-Creation… Self couple ashamed God couple hide AlienatesNature couple to suffer/die People Cain murders Abel Nation Confusion at Babel DisintegratesSin spreads Familytrees Sin destroys Flood story

Re-Creation… God calls Abraham Reintegrates God covenants Abraham

Abram: Life of a Nomad Abram born in Ur, important Mesopotamian city As young man, went w/ father > Haran In Haran, at age 75, A hears God;s call to go to Canaan

Abram’s Birthplace

Abram’s Journey

Gen. 12:1-5 1 The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Gen. 12: So Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy- five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

Promises to Abram 1. Land and a Nation 2. Kingship and a Name 3. Blessing for all Nations

Christian Interpretation of Promises Fulfilled 1. Land and a Nation Fulfilled in covenant with Moses 2. Kingship and a Name Fulfilled in covenant with David 3. Blessing for all Nations Fulfilled in and through Jesus Christ

Covenant with Abraham 1 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." …5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Covenant with Abraham 7 He also said to him, "I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it." 8 But Abram said, "O Sovereign Lord, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?" 9 So the Lord said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon." 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

Covenant with Abraham 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him…17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates-- 19 the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, 20 Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, 21 Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites."

Covenant: Solemn promise Sealed with a solemn ritual

Biblical Name Change Sign of new mission or calling (vocation, fr. Latin vocare= to call) For example: –Abram (“the Father is exalted”) > Abra’ham (“father of many [nations]”) –Sarai (“princess”) > Sar’ah(“Queen”)

Ritual of Circumcision- Why? Health purposes? Mark of identity? Acceptance into manhood? Sign of covenant commitment between parents & God (best explanation)

Sacrifice of Isaac Meanings? –Basic: Contains all that faith involves –Story is a “type” (Gk., typos) = “pre-presentation” of something yet to come, Old Testament > New Testament

Typology of Genesis 22 IsaacChrist A father offers his beloved son The Father offers His Beloved Son The son submits to the father’s will The Son submits to the Father’s will Isaac carries the wood for his own sacrifice Jesus carries his own wooden cross God provides the sacrifice (ram) God provides the perfect sacrifice (Christ)

Faith involves… Great trust Constant struggle Times of “darkness”

Reflect on This! What are 3 things you think teenagers struggle the most with as they try to live their faith ?

Westerhoff’s “Styles of Faith” Experienced Faith –Felt or “picked up” from others –Eg. praying with family, watching others’ way of living their faith

Westerhoff’s “Styles of Faith” Affiliative Faith –Faith of a group –Believing by belonging –Eg. parish community

Westerhoff’s “Styles of Faith” Searching Faith –Faith which struggles with doubts, fears or questions –Typical at times of change or crisis (teens, mid-life, etc.) –Eg. teens’ questions about Church’s teachings

Westerhoff’s “Styles of Faith” Owned Faith –Mature faith, “tried & true” –A faith truly one’s own –Eg. joining a youth group or praying by choice